Car-coupling



(No Model.)

D. Y. WILSON.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 363,784. Patented May 24, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID Y. VILSON, OF GUM TREE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO ROBERT L.

MOGLELLAN, OF GO'OHRANSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,784, dated May 24,1887.

Application filed March 1,1887.

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID Y. WILsoN, of Gum Tree, in the county ofChester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful.Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecifieation.

This invention relates to improvements in car-couplings in which Iemploy draw-heads in which are secured springs and between which is,inserted an ordinary coupling-pin. I also secure in the draw-head linksmade of two pieces suitably pivoted, and which are adapted to enter thedraw-head and by their point-headed hooks and the action of the springclose around the coupling-pin, and thus. coupling the cars together; andthe objects of my improvements are, f rst, to construct a coupling ofgreat simplicity, of few parts, and which may be readily repaired, andthe cost of constructing the same being exceedingly cheap; second, toprovide means whereby cars can be automatically coupled together,

and also to prevent shock when being so coupled, and which will yield tothe various curves of the road and to lateral motion of the cars; third,in providing a spring formed of one or two parts which will be free toyield upon the insertion of the links, pivoted by a coupling-pin to theopposite drawhcad, said links having hook-headed points adapted to fitaround the eouplingpin, and held there by means of the spring.

It further consists of a link .made in two pieces, pivoted at a point toone side of the center of its length, and having a prolongation on itsrear end to come in contact with the sp'ri ng, the said link near itspoint ofpivot being provided with an elongated slot, by which the twoparts of the links are connected together, and at the same time allowingample room for opening and closing them, and will also hold the twosections together when not in use 5 and it further consists in certaindetails of construction and combination of parts, as will be Serial No.229,314. {No model.)

hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in theclaim. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective View of myimprovement, showing a draw-head attached to a car and the linksconnected thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view showing the draw-headswhen coupled; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, the upper portionof the spring being cut away to show the links when coupled. Fig. 4 is aview of the springmade in a single piece.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A represents an end portion of a car, to which thedraw-heads B B are secured in any suitable manner. The draw heads B Bare preferably made in the form shownt'. 0., made of one piece of metalturned over at one end, as shown, and at the outer end provided with aprojecting portion, 1), to form a buffer, and having therein arectangular-shaped hole, c.-

To the portions I) Z) are firmly secured, on each side of the hole a 0,the springs d d, which extend into the interior of the draw-head and areconnected together by a belt or nut,'e, and when thus fastened togetherform a V-shaped spring. L'however, do not confine myself to making thespring of two parts, as it can be made of one piece of spring metal bentever (see Fig. 4) and connected as described. In the draw-head B, I formholes or perforations ff for the reception of the eoupling-pinsff. Saidcouplingpins are connected at their head by awire chain or rope, e,extending upwardly for a suitable distance, and thence passes through ahole in a bracket, 0, and thence over a pulley or wheel, (notshown,).and to the end of the chain or cord I secure a ring, as clearlyshown. 9 9 represent the couplinglinks, their rear ends being providedwith an enlarged portion, 9 g, as shown, and provided with holesi 13,formed to one side of the center of its length, through which thecouplingpin is allowed to enter, the links near their point of pivotbeing provided with an elongated slot, (6, by which means the two partsare pivoted together by a screw, a, and when so pivoted are allowedample room for opening and closing the ends of the link. It will also beseen that when the parts are thrown aside or are not in use they willalways be held together for immediate use. The front ends of the linksare constructed to form hook-headed ends adapted to fit partially aroundthe coupling-pin when inserted. The inner ends of the hookshaped portionare beveled, for the purpose of allowing them to slide easily over thecoupling-pin.

In operation I secure by the coupling-pin the links 9 9, (two beingemployed,) having their hook-heads pointing toward each other. I theninsert in the opposite draw-head a coupling-pin, and it will thus beseen that as the train backs up, the ends of the links, when they comein contact with the coupling-pin, will be pushed apart by means of theirinclined portions until the hooks have passed the pin, when the springby the force exerted will push and keep the links closely together, andthus automatically couple the cars.

To uncouple the cars'all that is necessary to be done is to pull the endof the wire chain or cord, which will draw out the coupling-pin, 25

and thus release the cars.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In an automatic carcoupler, drawheads B 30 13, opening 0, and V-shapedsprings secured therein, in combination with links 9 g, havinghook-headed ends adapted to grasp a coupling-pin, and pivoted togetherthrough an elongated slot, whereby the links may be 5

